1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly for interconnecting an electronic module such as a camera module for use with a cellular phone or the like to an electrical member such as a printed circuit board via a flexible printed circuit board. At least a protecting section is formed on the flexible printed circuit board to prevent pads formed on the printed circuit board from being scraped accidentally.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electronic modules such as a camera module for use with a cellular phone has to be securely maintained in electrical connection with an electronic member such as a printed circuit board. Therefore, a camera socket is dimensioned to securely receive a camera module therein. Consequently, the camera module is electrically connected with the printed circuit board via the shielded connector.
In order to comply with a miniaturization trend of electrical connectors, a flexible printed circuit board is used in said electrical connector to reduce the height of the electrical connector and provide a reliable electric path between a camera module and a printed circuit board.
U.S. Pub No. 2007/0238357, published on Oct. 11, 2007, discloses an electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a camera module and a printed circuit board via a flexible printed circuit board. Said electrical connector assembly includes a shielded shell, a flexible printed circuit board received in the shielded shell and a supporting member sandwiched between the shielded shell and the printed circuit board. The shielded shell has a receiving space and defines two pairs of sidewalls extending upwardly. Each of an opposite sidewalls defines a resilient portion projecting towards the receiving space for retaining the camera module. The flexible printed circuit board is received in the receiving space also for electrically connecting the camera module. The supporting element upholds the flexible printed circuit board. When the camera module is assembled in the receiving space from above, the flexible printed circuit board is sandwiched between the camera module and supporting element, meanwhile, the pads formed on upper surface of the flexible printed circuit board contact with the pads formed on the bottom face of the camera module so as to transfer the signal of the camera module to printed circuit board.
It is well know that flexible printed circuit board is made of soft material and is easy to bend and distort, accordingly, the flexible printed circuit board, especially the pads formed thereon to electrically connect with the pads formed on the bottom of the camera module, is easy to be scraped during production, assembly and so on. Accordingly, when camera module is assembled in the receiving space of the shielded shell, there has a possible that the pads formed on the flexible printed circuit board will not contact with the pads formed on the bottom of the camera module due to the damage or deformation. As a result, a reliable electrical path between the camera module and printed circuit board is not provided.
Thus, there is a need to provide an improved electrical connector assembly to overcome the above-mentioned problems.